Thursday, November 30, 2017

That wasn't the most impactful part. It's what I did afterwards that inspired me to write this post.

I was tired and so I needed to sit down at a train stop. I went to sit next to a white man that had the only empty seat available.

After sitting the white man got up and grumbled something under his voice.

I was sitting there happy to have been tired from a long day of continuing to build my dream that is Curva-Lish when a young black man came over to me and said, "Did you hear what he said to you?"

I responded, "Who said what?"

I literally didn't know what he was talking about.

The young man, with a face of complete horror and anger, said, "That man just called you a nigger!"

I first started laughing, which made this young man's face turn to complete astonishment.

I calmly replied, "He for sure wasn't talking to me because I'm not a nigger."

I then lean in and look the young man straight in his eyes and say, "Don't ever respond or give attention to voices that don't describe who and what you are. Ever. Someone's always going to have an opinion of you. What you respond to is a reflection of you acknowledging it. Choose what you acknowledge because that means it's you."

In other words, don't ever accept a label or identification that you haven't authorized as who you are. Period.

Someone's opinion of you doesn't equal facts unless you accept and give attention to it, thus, making it a fact.

The young man looks at me and tears welled up in his eyes.

I give him a nod and hop on my train that just pulled up.

The Lesson

One thing I have gleamed from my years on this Earth is that no matter how accomplished, successful or perfect someone's life appears, what matters the most is the voices they choose to acknowledge.

No matter whether it's internal voices telling you you're not good enough or you lack some type of specialness...responding and giving attention to those voices is a reflection of who you think you are.

And like the experience I had above, what about those external voices saying you're this or you're that?

Whether the voice is internal or external, if it doesn't reasonate with who you think you really are deep down, then do not respond or give it your attention!

We all have competing voices telling us many things both internally and externally.

The key is in how you respond or what you give your attention to when those voices come up!

There are many, many opinions but at the end of the day, your voice and how you respond to divergent opinions that contrast your own is what makes for a life of well being and joy.

Choose to make the voice that you give your attention to the ones that matter the most. Because in that choice is you deciding and that's your power!

Thursday, October 26, 2017

I was so excited to attend the Fort Worth Camera hosted event that featured brilliant photographer Dixie Dixon's new book "Fashion & Lifestyle", with famed business mogul Kathy Ireland attending and providing the forward to the book for the photographer that has photographed her for years.

One of the Photographs for Auction

It was a unique lifestyle event in that I don't know if I've ever attended an event whereas a famed photographer collaborated with a modeling icon turned business mogul for a book launch and auction of limited edition prints.

The crowd included luminaries from the worlds of business, style, philanthropy, and more! There were also many photography enthusiasts in the crowd who jumped at the chance to be the first in line to purchase a signed copy of Dixon's "Fashion & Lifestyle" book and bid on one of the limited edition prints.

The diverse mixture of the crowd lead to an absolute fun evening celebrating two brilliant women who came together to toast a powerful night of inspiration to reach for your dreams!

Fashionable Crowd: Theresa York & Friend

Fort Worth Native Kathy Page

Diverse Crowd from Multiple Disciplines

Me with Local News Icon

"Don't put off your passion, now is the time if you're going to go for it. What is there to lose?" --Dixie Dixon Book Quote

Brilliant!

I had the pleasure of briefly interviewing Kathy Ireland and it was five minutes of brilliant inspiration as only a woman grounded in who she is could be able to describe what it's like going from a modeling icon to a business mogul. Statistics say that we will all have at least three evolutions in our lifetime and so I wanted to hear directly from Ireland on how she did it!

Me: How were you able to take the leap of faith and transition from being known as a model to now being known as a business mogul who appeared on the cover of Forbes magazine?

Ireland: I would say to really focus on your dreams and your passions.

Don't let fear get in the way. Don't let someone else's opinion of you or your circumstances define you or destroy you. Don't let someone put you in a box. Don't put yourself in a box (and limit what you think you can achieve).

Figure out your values, your priorities and put boundaries in place to protect them because they are definitely going to be challenged.

For me it's my faith, family and then being in service to The Word. If I don't do that in that order, I'm a disaster.

Me at Meet & Greet with Ireland and Dixie Dixon

Me: With all that's going on in our world, how do you believe your faith fits into your success personally?

Ireland: I don't define success in terms of dollars.

To me it's common sense: how we treat one another.

And for me, it's my faith in Jesus Christ. I have my struggles daily but I try to live a life that is a reflection of Him.

Me: What has been a particular highlight of your long, illustrious career?

Ireland: I love the people I get to meet.

Even right here tonight, talking with you. I love your joy. It shines right through you. I love that.

And in maturing, I'm recognizing is the blessing in being exposed to needs so much bigger than me. And to opportunities that are so much bigger than me.

And to really be open to that.

To really focus on these things and really be a great steward of the different ways in which I can be a vessel or part of these needs and opportunities.

Me: What transferrable skills would you say you use now in your life as a business mogul that you learned from modeling that's been particularly helpful to you?

Ireland: Dealing with rejection.

There is so much rejection in the modeling world and I didn't realize what a gift that was.

When I started in business people laughed in my face and told me my ideas were stupid (and worse).

It didn't destroy me. Instead I thought, "Now we're talking! I'll come back tomorrow! Maybe your circumstances would have changed or maybe you'll be in a better mood."

And I encourage people, when you get rejected, don't give up.

Learn from it. Maybe there could be something better in your approach.

Maybe don't go back the next day...(laughter from the both of us when Kathy admitted she was stalk-y in the beginning in chasing her dreams)

Mark it in your calendar and go back in six months. In that time, learn all you can about the person, the company or event so that when you go back, you can use all that knowledge to approach them again.

Me at Meet & Greet with Ireland and Dixie Dixon

By the time I left the event I felt an empowerment like I haven't felt in a long time!

Kathy Ireland is the real deal when it comes to authenticity and living life in her own lane.

Dixie Dixon is beyond talented and I am so glad I was there to support her launch in sharing her gift with the world.

Authenticity. Living in your own lane. Finding your unique talent. And sharing it with the world.

Saturday, October 21, 2017

Like all cities hosting this fantasy filled evening of white style, Dallas' secret location only heightened the sense of anticipation!

And screams were inherent once it was revealed that the gorgeous, award winning location that is the Dallas Arboretum would serve as Host for 2017!

And the most perfect timing of the location is that it sits on a hill overlooking White Rock Lake. So as the tables were setup and the dinner feast began, the sunset was a picturesque backdrop that was something out of a painting.

It was the beginning of a magical night that only kept getting better.

For my recap, I wanted to highlight my personal obsession: tabletop.

There were literally hundreds of tabletops carefully and beautifully created by the 2500+ revelers in attendance!

Below are some of the ones I want to highlight to give other Diner en Blanc party goers in other cities (especially first timers) ideas for creating their own tabletops for their magical night:

Picture Credit @ashleigh2006 (Instagram)

I loved this tabletop because the emphasis was on the flowers and simple food. This tabletop also has various textures and heights that makes it appealing without being complicated.

Recreate: think of how you can add texture and dimension by focusing on flowers and then adding shiny objects, textured crystal, and different objects of various heights.

This tabletop not only was clearly the "Belle of the Ball" but also, it swiveled on an electronic motor! It was quite spectacular. I wanted to also highlight it because the Pegasus horse is a mascot of Dallas... brilliant!

Recreate: when you're thinking of recreating a tabletop like this, choose something that is particularly connected to your host city, such as city mascots, famous landmarks, buzz worthy locations, etc. Make elements of your great city the inspiration for your tabletop decor.

Picture Credit @channelgirl5 (Instagram)

Picture Credit @channelgirl5 (Instagram)

There were several sponsor tabled areas but my favorite was this one by the folks of the Lincoln Motor Company. It was the image of classic style complete with elegant glassware and fine China with silver accents. It was gorgeous!

Recreate: you don't have to have a sponsor budget to recreate this timelessly elegant look! Take all your best hosting dinnerware out of the cabinet, add your favorite metallic accent in the utensils and focus on adding greenery.

Picture Credit @nonchalantgirl (Instagram)

The one thing I loved the most about this gorgeous tabletop is it's unique usage of the macaroon dessert bowl as part of the tabletop decor!

Recreate: choose a simple, colorful, edible dessert and create a unique way of showcasing it that adds to your tabletop decor! The more colorful the dessert, the more it gives visual inspiration.

Depending on when your city's Diner en Blanc is scheduled, I wanted to feature this tabletop for it's usage of something white in perfect harmony with the season...in this case, Fall. White pumpkins are SO on trend and I loved seeing it on this tabletop.

Recreate: no matter when your Diner en Blanc is scheduled, think of how you can incorporate elements of the season and still stick with the white theme.

Picture Credit @shedrinksaround (Instagram)

Just in case you didn't know, color is allowed for tabletops at Dinner en Blanc! Use your imagination in how you add color!

Recreate: adding color to your tabletop can be as simple!email as playing with different flower colors and textures. I also saw many variations of colorful food that added to the tantalizing environment.

Picture Credit @shedrinksaround (Instagram)

Candles were used on about 70% of the tabletops. The impact of the soft glow wasn't apparent until the sun had set and the night of dancing ensued. Due to the location being dark in different spots of the property, I'd say candles (or some type of soft lighting feature) are a must for any Diner en Blanc tabletop!

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Disclaimer

Curva-Lish is a for-profit blog. Any company that I collaborate with is chosen by me and fits the mission and readership of my blog. At times, posts may contain affiliate or partnership links or sponsored content.